New Life
by ChelsM3-ZKFTW
Summary: Wally isn't dead; just trapped in a dream dimension. It's up to his best friend, Dick, his girlfriend, Artemis and the rest of the Team to rescue him. Will they get to him before he is obliterated for life?
1. Chapter 1

iI should have done this a long time ago.../i

Artemis jolted from her sleep as Wally's voice whispered around her. Frantically, she looked around, a flash of red and yellow assaulted her eyes, but she dismissed it quickly. Her mind was playing tricks on her. Wally was dead. Had been for months. Get your shit together, Crock. He's never coming back.

Shivers ran over her skin as she blinked back the tears. Closing her eyes against the images of him in his stealth mode costume as he swung her up in his arms and kissed her for the first time. Sobbing quietly to herself, Artemis mumbled, "No kidding..." before she drifted back into a Wally filled sleep.

As the sun came up, Artemis dragged her lazy ass out of bed. She had to go meet the rest of the team. She still had a role to play, maybe not as Artemis anymore, but as Tigress. It was still an important role anyway. Nightwing would be pissed if she showed up late again.

Even though he knew what she was going through, seeing as how he lost his best friend, he still wouldn't accept tardiness. She rolled her eyes and managed to get herself into the bathroom without any incidents.

She looked at her reflection, surprised she didn't even really recognize herself. Though, if she were honest, she shouldn't have been all that shocked. In the last couple of months, she'd stopped finding reasons to groom or care for herself decently. Bags were evident under her eyes from too many sleepless nights. Her once bright golden hair now lacked its usual luster. Her flawless skin she had once upon a time was blotchy and it wouldn't kill her to try to cover it up.

But she just didn't care anymore.

She had all but given up.

Only dreams of Wally kept her going.

That and the closeness she felt to others when she was out saving the world.

She kept telling herself that eventually the pain would subside and she could get on with her life, but some part of her felt that that was a lie. Some part of her felt as though she would never be able to move on. Some part of her blamed herself for Wally's death and for that she would burn in purgatory forever.

As she stared at herself, she couldn't help but remember that day. The playful banter between her and Wally as they joked about going to Paris when the world didn't need to be saved. His joke that the world would always need saving. She had only rolled her eyes, thinking nothing of it. She remembered Wally leaving her side to join his uncle and cousin. She remembered thinking that he was stupid because he was only trying to prove himself. She remembered regretting that thought the second it entered her mind, because she knew the truth; he had nothing to prove, he was only doing what all superheroes do. Save the world. She remembered hurrying to the Arctic with Nightwing and the others to be there. She remembered watching the electrifying beams hit Wally as he tried to keep up. She remembered the smoke clearing after the speedsters stopped running. She remembered searching for Wally. She remembered her fear, her pain, the death grip that was on her heart, the lump in her throat as Barry told her that Wally loved her. She remembered-

NO! Stop it! Please, god, just stop the pain!

Tears streamed down her face as she sent her fist through the mirror. She couldn't look at herself anymore. Couldn't put herself through the emotional suicide anymore. She had work to do.

Wiping her face clean of tears with the back of her hand, she toughened her resolve. Wally was right about one thing, she thought as she brushed back her hair and donned her mask, the world would always need to be saved and she would always be there to do make him proud.

"Batgirl, Wonder Girl, Bumble Bee, Miss M and Arte- Tigress, you guys are team Alpha, Miss M will take point. The Joker is, as always, wreaking some kind of havoc on Gotham City." Kaldur didn't even crack a smile at the clown's usual behavior. "Our Beta team will consist of Superboy, Blue Beetle, Beast Boy, Lagoon Boy and Robin, who will be on point for your team. You boys are going to see what Poison Ivy is up to in Star City. Nightwing has sent the information to you already. Safe trips." Kaldur nodded his head once as he watched the Team disassemble and go to their positions.

He felt Nightwing's presence behind him before he even heard him. Batman would be proud of his protege. "Dick, I thought you were still on your 'leave'?" Kaldur put it in quotations because Nightwing hadn't really stayed away the way he had planned. He'd been silently giving out all the intel the Team had gotten a hold of. The only one who knew he was really here was Tigress.

"I'm tired of not really being part of this team. I took my time to mourn Wally and did some investigating. Quite frankly, I don't understand what I found and I need the Team's help- most Artemis's and yours- Oh, and Batman. But that's beside the point. I'm just- I'm back, okay?" Dick shook his head and smirked, "Just stay whelmed, alright? Everything is good."

Kaldur couldn't help but smile at Dick's usual saying, "If you insist, Nightwing. Please let the rest of the team know that you're back, they would be happy to know."

Dick nodded once and excused himself to his old room. He needed look over the information he had gathered over the amount of time he was gone. Something was there, but it just didn't make any sense. None of it did. But he would make sense of it.

That's what detective work was all about. That's what all of his training with Batman had been about. And he'd be damned if he didn't put it to good work. He had to find his best friend. He just had to; he couldn't be without his best friend anymore.

Artemis came back from the mission a bruised mess. Two days. Two goddamn days. Fighting those bastards. Apparently, Joker's henchmen turned out to be better adversaries than any of the girls anticipated. She stretched her aching arm and popped her back as best as she could. She couldn't wait until she could get home and unwind. Maybe she'd even splurge and take a bubble bath.

She smiled at that thought; though it wasn't because it sounded like a nice idea. But because it was one of the best memories she had of Wally. They had come home late from a mission one night and he had run home ahead of her, ever the speedster, and drew her a warm bubble bath. With her consistent pestering, he had joined her in the warmth and they had made love in suds. Her eyes swam as images of his red hair dripping wet as he kissed down her body.

Blinking furiously, she banished those memories quickly. Not right now, Crock. She shook her head and continued into the Justice League head quarters, her mind on one thing. Nightwing. He was officially back and she needed to talk to him.

As she walked up the steps, a shock of red hair caught her eyes and she turned toward it, her mind immediately going to Wally. But one look around and she was sure she was losing her fucking mind. How could a dead person be running around now? They couldn't be. It was just stupid, wishful, hopeful thinking and she needed to let it go.

Shaking her head again, she focused her mind on moving her feet.

Dick Grayson was her first and main concern right now.

Why can't she see me?

I've talked to her earlier this morning.

And just now, I ran right in front of her.

But she still can't see me.

Can't hear me.

Or at least she thinks she's just imagining me.

Please, Artie. I need you to see me, hear me, feel me.

I need my spitfire to save me.

"Hey, Artemis, I can't believe it took you this long to come find me. How you been?" Dick's easy smile always put her at ease, but this time she didn't care for pleasantries. She wanted to get down to business.

"I've been fanfuckingtastic, buddy, I imagine you're doing the same. Can we just talk about what you found if anything?" Artemis dropped her orange and blacked stripped mask onto the overstuffed bean bag Dick had since he was a Robin when he first joined the Team.

He rolled his eyes at her, "I don't see you in months, and you can't care to say 'hi'?"

She only glared, "Fine. Hi, Dick, how's life treating you?"

He smiled, "Not too bad actually."

A long moment of silence followed before he continued, "Oh, okay, fine. Ready to over it all?"

She gave him a look that perfectly conveyed 'no shit, Sherlock' before sitting down next to him. "Do you think you found anything of use?"

He shrugged, "I don't know, maybe. I'm not the big science nerd Wally was."

Another moment of quiet but this was in honor of their fallen comrade's name actually been spoken. When Artemis finally spoke, her voice was raw with unshed tears, "M-maybe Impulse can help us with all the- science-y shit."

"Yeah. Maybe."

His words said he agreed, but his tone contradicted those words to the max. Artemis knew this whole Wally thing was killing him just as much, if not more, as it was her. Tentatively, she touched Dick's shoulder, wanting to reassure him. She felt him tense and gradually relax under her hand.

Glancing back at her, he mumbled, "Thanks..."

His voice caught at the end of the word. Knowing Dick Grayson, Batman's prodigy, the great Nightwing, was crying over the loss of his best friend, caused tears to sting her eyes as well. She wanted him to know he wasn't alone in all this. Slowly, she bent and kissed his head, "It'll be okay..."

He reached up and grabbed her hand, holding it tightly in his own, "Thank you, Artemis."

"What's going to be okay?"

The disembodied voice startled the two heroes. Separating quickly, Dick hid the intel he had gathered hurriedly. They turned to see none other than Impulse staring inquiringly. "Uh, what, Bart?" Artemis slyly brushed her hand over her eyes, vanishing unwanted tears.

The young speedster tilted his head, watching them as though they were a new species he was studying out in the jungle. "I said, 'what's going to be okay?'"

Artemis completely blanked on what to say, but thankfully she was with the clever Nightwing. He cleared his throat, ever calm, and looked Bart in the eye, "Batman's a little disappointed about my absence, I have yet to tell him I've returned. Artemis, here was just keeping me whelmed about everything." He gave that easygoing smile and Bart instantly relaxed.

"Oh, okay. Well, good to see you're back!" the redhead smiled and sped off.

The archer looked to her friend, "Nice thinking on your feet, there buddy."

Nighwing smirked, "You have gotten rusty these past few months I see. You used to be faster than me."

Artemis gave a weak smile, "But never faster than Wally."

Nightwing rested his hand on her shoulder and pulled her in for a hug. "We'll find him."

The blonde sniffled, "Come back to my place tonight, we'll talk about everything there."

Dick nodded and rocked his friend.

Feeling suddenly cold, Artemis pulled away from Nightwing and looked around for the abrupt chill. Her eyes clashed with Wally's. His bright green eyes staring back at her, filled with pain. He reached his hand out as though to caress her cheek-

"Artemis!" Nightwing's voice pulled her away from the now blurring image of Wally. "Artemis! Can you hear me?"

The archer opened her eyes to see Nightwing's worried face over hers. The back of her head was throbbing painfully and her chest felt constricted, "What happened?"

"You just...fainted. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine."

Why is he holding her?

Dick would never do that to me...

Would he?

Would she?

I did leave her all alone and him, too.

But they shouldn't be...touching like that.

Stop touching her you dick!

I feel the tears burn my eyes, betrayal hurts.

Please don't forget about me, Artie.

Night had fallen, a storm was brewing; lightening flashing through the sky as the thunder rolled heavily through the heavens. Artemis's house shook with the rumbles and when a knock came at the door, she jumped. Though she knew it was only Dick, she was still jumpy from the atmosphere.

She opened the door quickly and she smiled in a greeting to her friend. "Come on in and make yourself at home." Dick passed her, and she closed the door behind him.

It was always weird seeing Dick in his civvies, black jeans, a white under shirt and a leather jacket. If she thought about it, his outfit looked a lot like the old one he wore when he was Robin. She was thankful that because she knew his secret identity, he didn't wear his sunglasses. His blue eyes lightened his features and the aura of the dark situation they were in. He turned to face her, "I know you're not going to like this, but we have to be around Wally's stuff."

She blinked, "What do you mean?"

"Artie, did you move all of Wally's stuff out of your guys's bedroom?"

"Not all of it. I, uhm, I still have some of his belongings in my room, but most of it is in the spare bedroom. When we moved in together, he, uh, he had a lot of things and put it in there. It was his own little world to escape to when we were fighting. I didn't touch it." She tried desperately to keep her voice even and the tears at bay.

He nodded and took her hand, "You haven't gone in there since he left have you?"

She shook her head, "No," she muttered.

"Well, there's a first time for everything."

"Yeah," she murmured.

Dick sighed and let Artemis lead the way down the hall, a small bag in hand. He felt that if he sat in the room with Artemis and they looked through Wally's things, he'd be able to find something that would help him make sense of what he had found.

He couldn't have lost his best friend. Not yet. Not forever.

They're holding hands...

What's Dick got?

A bag.

What's in it?

What are they doing in my souvenir room?

No, no, that's good! I know I left some research in there about other dimensions.

THAT'S what they're doing!

That's what Dick is holding.

He found something, but needs help.

My help.

I've got to try again to get Artie's attention. To get Dick's attention.

It's time I got out of here.

"Are you ready to go in now?" Nightwing asked, his hand on the doorknob.

"Ready or not, here we go." Artemis pushed passed the acrobat and entered the room she hadn't dared entered since losing Wally.

As she stood in the middle of the room, amidst Wally and who he was as a person, as a hero, as a lover, as a friend, tears threatened her gray eyes. She could almost feel her boyfriend in the room, wrapping his arms around her body and rocking her against his chest. Unable to keep them away anymore, the traitorous tears rolled down her pale cheeks.

"Art-"

Dick was worried about her, but she cut him off. She wanted to enjoy this moment. To soak up Wally and his being. "I love you, too," she whispered into the empty air as she closed her eyes against the onslaught of uncontrollable pain. Her body shook from the ferocity of the grief she was letting out. When she opened her eyes, she saw him again. Like she had this morning and both times this afternoon.

He smiled at her and she couldn't help but smile back. Reaching out, he brushed his finger over her lips, a ghost of a touch. He opened his mouth, as though talking, but she couldn't hear him. She didn't understand what he was trying to say.

It doesn't matter anyway, she thought. He wasn't really here. She closed her eyes tightly again.

"Artemis! Did you see that?"

Dick's alarmed voice beckoned her to reopen her eyes, nothingness met her. "What are you talking about? Nothing's there."

The detective narrowed his eyes as he stared in the same spot Artemis thought she saw Wally. "I could have sworn I saw..." he shook his head, "Never mind."

Artemis tilted her head, confused. Did he see Wally, too?

"Yeah, you're right. We got work to do. Where should we start?" She looked up, waiting for directions.

"Not a clue, you lived with him. Do you know where he would have kept his school things? I know he was majoring in physics, that could be helpful." Nightwing had already began rifling through the belongings of Wally West.

Looking through the strewn school books and notebooks, Artemis nodded, "Yeah, most of it should be on the floor, he never liked cleaning it up, always threw it down when we got home from school." Her voice was forlorn as she flipped through the pages of notes written by the redhead.

"Those'll help, Artie. Hand 'em here?" He held out his hand and she handed the notebooks over begrudgingly. "Keep looking, there's gotta be more than will help."

She nodded, hating for some reason that she was giving up Wally's things to Dick. It was stupid of her. They were best friends and Nightwing was trying to her find KF. There was no reason for this feeling of jealousy. But she was.

She was jealous that Wally's things would be with someone else other than herself. Stop being petty, Crock, it doesn't suit you.

Nodding to herself for encouragement, she continued rummaging through the rest of the disorganized things that belonged to the infamous Kid Flash. It was depressing, really. Searching the possessions of the man she could feel all around her. Like he was there, but couldn't do anything about what Dick and her were doing. Like he was watching helplessly.

If he were there, would he be able to help? Of course he would; he was the smartest kid Artemis knew and even Nightwing knew Wally would have been able to help. What did he need help with anyway? Wally was, like Dick said, majoring in physics. What could Wally's degree have to do with finding him after he died?

Confusion hit her hard, "Hey, uh, why do- why do you need Wally's physics stuff anyway?"

Nightwing shrugged, his back turned to her, "You know just base material and whelming stuff like that."

"I don't believe you. What aren't you telling me?" Artemis walked around to face Nightwing, but he kept avoiding eye contact. Finally, she reached up and grabbed his face, making him look at her. "Tell me."

He sighed and pulled away from her grip, "I think..." he shook his head and started to walk away, but Artemis was hot on heels.

"What is it?" she demanded, anger rising and boiling in her blood.

He finally stopped and faced the reddening blonde, "I think Wally is trapped in another dimension..."

Yes! He knew! Of course he knew! He was Dick motherfucking Grayson!

I was ashamed for doubting my best friend to begin with, but now I knew that Nightwing was there to help me.

And he saw me to top it off! When I was touching Artemis, he saw me!

There's hope for me yet.

They will find me.

"You're joking right? How is that even possible? I thought when you said that you found something you meant that maybe he was teleported somewhere... Like Africa!" Artemis clutched her head exasperated, she could feel a headache coming on that had nothing to do with her tight ponytail.

"Artemis, just listen to me and what I have to say, okay?" Nightwing's usual calming voice did nothing to ease her frayed nerves, but she didn't stop him from talking and that was all he could ask for. "I went back to where the magnetic field disruptors were in the Arctic. At first I didn't find anything. For days I found nothing." He sighed tiredly, running his hands through his longer hair. "I was there for almost two weeks, digging in the snow, talking to the natives there, searching for something. I had given up and was about to head home when I heard..." he stopped again and looked away, shaking his head. "You're not going to believe me if I tell you..."

She snorted, "Hah, try me."

He shook his head again and pursed his lips, "I heard Wally. He told me to keep looking." He looked away from Artemis's gray eyes, unable to see the tears that would surely be there. "So I did." When he looked back at his friend and was surprised when he saw that there was no evidence of pain in her eyes.

"You what...?" Artemis's voice was breathy and unsure as she questioned her friend.

"I heard Wally, okay! He was there, in my ear, telling me to keep looking for him and I did. And because I did, I found something!" He brushed passed Artemis and back into Wally's room. Before she could follow him, he came marching back out, a glove in hand. Instantly she recognized the red glove as part of Wally's costume. "This is-"

"Wally's glove..." gray eyes filled again with pain, but she blinked them away rapidly.

"Yeah," Dick whispered. "I found it along side with a pieces of metal from the MFD's. They were buried in the snow, further away from where we were. I don't know how they moved, maybe the wind, the snow, or maybe Wally himself." He stopped suddenly, "I know this sounds weird, crazy even, but it's true! Something happened out there and it wasn't Wally dying. He's alive. I know he is."

Artemis was listening to Dick speak, she really was, but she didn't quite hear him. She had always hoped that Wally was still alive, and when she started hearing him, seeing him, she thought she was hallucinating; trying to bring him to life. But hearing the most sanest, rational person say that Wally was alive still somewhere, made her rethink. Maybe she wasn't crazy- or maybe they were both crazy...

"Artemis, you do believe me, don't you?" Nightwing's eyes were staring desperately into hers, as if willing her to grasp and understand what he was saying.

She wanted to tell him that he had lost his mind, that he was just as insane as the Joker, but she couldn't, because in her heart, she did believe him. "Yes, I do."

He grinned and grabbed her hand, pulling her back into Wally's room. "Now, here's the thing, I don't know how he got to the dimension where he might be. So, here's what I need you to do." He grabbed her by her shoulders and forced her to sit on the ground where he plopped down beside her, "I've only seen Wally once. Just a few minutes ago, and I know you saw him, too."

Rolling her eyes, Artemis admitted to her psychosis, "Yeah, I did."

"Have you seen him before then?"

Sighing deeply, she revealed a secret she wanted to keep to herself. "Yes, yesterday morning was the first time I saw him and heard him. I was sleeping and I heard him talking and woke up, I thought I had seen him in his costume, but I dismissed it as a dream." She took a deep breath and continued, hoping she didn't sound too much like a nut job. "Then I saw him again, on the steps of the Justice Hall. And again when I fainted, he seemed hurt and tried to touch me, but you were yelling my name. And just then with you, he touched my lips kinda." Artemis kept her gray eyes on the carpet, seemingly enthralled with a piece of frayed material.

Dick stroked his jaw, genuinely interested in what the archer was saying, "You've seen him four times. You've heard him once and you felt him." His tone conveyed his confusion but it was only a matter of seconds before he snapped his fingers. "He doesn't want to communicate with anyone with you, Artie. Yeah, I've seen him and shit, but it's obvious he's trying to get your attention. He's trying to tell you where he is!" He stood up, pacing excitedly, and brushing his fingers through his hair, "When did you say you heard him?"

"While I was-"

"Sleeping. Has he tried talking to you since then?" back and forth, back and forth.

"He tried to tell me something earlier, when we were in here, but I couldn't-"

"Hear him. I figured as much." back and forth, back and forth. Passed the bed, around the bed, passed the bookshelves, around the TV, back and forth. "Do you think it's possible he could be in a dream dimension? Of course it is! If we're talking dimension, then any dimension is possible. Hell, there are other alien life forms and species, why can't another dimension be possible? This is huge, Artie. We have to do something about this. How do we get him out... Sleep, that's how, it's so simple." Without a moment's notice, he whirled on Artemis, his blue eyes shining brightly, "Get your ass to sleep, blondie! We have to save KF." Suddenly, he grabbed her up from the ground and Artemis was surprised by how strong the younger hero actually was.

"I'm not tired though right now, Dick. I can't sleep. And would you put me down!" He had started carrying her to her bedroom and only when she had started hitting his back did he set her on her feet.

"You have to though, don't you understand? Sleep equals finding Wally. Finding Wally equals a happy Dick and a happy Artemis, not to mention a happy KF!" he started talking animatedly, his hands moving back and forth as he explained his equations.

"You don't even know if that's how we find him, if we find him at all!"

"Why are you being a debbie downer right now!"

"I just- I don't want to go into this thinking we're going to find him and have it all be for nothing. I can't lose him again! I can't go through this horrific feeling again!" Artemis turned away from the acrobat and started down the hallway to the door. "I think it's time you leave, Dick." She opened the door wide for him, waiting impatiently.

Sighing frustratingly, Dick forced himself passed Artemis and walked out the door. As Artemis was closing the door, he whispered over the rain and thunder, "Don't you think you should try though? For Wally's sake." He walked away from her then, leaving Artemis with a chill that had nothing to do with the wind and rain.


	2. Chapter 2

Dick walked down the puddle riddled sidewalk, his hands buried deep in his pockets. His black head bent down against the wind and his collar turned up protectively against the chill. He was glad his feet could do all the walking without much direction; his brain could in no way function well enough to get him anywhere. He was too busy thinking about everything that Artemis and he were trying to do and how he should convince Artemis that there was a way to save Wally.

He-they- had found a way to find and save Wally. But Artemis wouldn't go along with it. Refused to do it. Thought Dick was crazy for even thinking it, let alone suggesting it. But he knew he was right. Maybe, he, himself could communicate with Wally tonight...

He sighed sadly, he knew that even as he thought that, there was no way it would happen. Wally wanted Artemis. And Dick didn't blame him for that. If it had been Dick stuck in another dimension for six months, he'd want to talk to only Barbara, too. But he still wanted a sign or something from his best friend that he was right about where to find Wally.

Seeing his sleek car along the curb coming into view, he snatched his car keys from the depths of his jacket pocket and clicked the unlock button. Hopping into the warmth of the car, he told Siri to call Barbara.

"Calling Babs." The computer animated voice responded.

"Thank you, Siri."

"You're welcome, Dick." He started the engine, waiting for the machine to warm up.

A calming, gentle voice answered, "Hey, baby, everything okay?" She was as always concerned, and he couldn't help but smile.

"Yes, sweetheart, everything is fine. I'm just leaving Artemis's now." He pulled off from the curb and headed home.

"How'd it all go?"

Nightwing hesitated. He wasn't sure how much he should tell Barbara about what he found and what Artemis and him were trying to accomplish, if anything at all. "Fine. Still trying to figure out how to go about telling the Team that we might have to disband." It was a lie, but a necessary one.

"I'm sorry, Dick. Hurry home and I'll make you feel better." Her voice had a husky ring to it and Dick could feel his jeans tightening slightly.

"I'll be right over, baby girl." They hung up and Nightwing sped off toward his Batgirl and for the first time in six months, Wally was the furthest thing from his mind.

Seriously, Artie? Really?

You have to be THAT stubborn?

That bullheaded?

Christ, now I remember why I fell in love with you.

How we started this back and forth relationship we have-had...

No, we still have it.

If you would only listen, we'd still have it!

Is it that hard, to just go along for once without having to question everything?

Dick knows what he's doing and you should know that!

I pace back and forth, wishing that I could somehow make Artemis know the truth.

I know I can't do anything until she falls asleep and let's me talk to her.

But with my recent luck, she'll make herself stay awake all night.

Fuck, Artie... Just, please, I need you...

"Hey, Miss M, how's it going?" Artemis answered her cellphone on the third ring and settled into overstuffed chair Wally kept in the living room. She was glad her friend called because in all honest, she wasn't quite ready to sleep.

"Not much, just waiting for Conner to get home." A slight pang of sadness was evident in the martian's voice. "He's out with his dad, you know, bonding and all that. How have you been?"

Artemis snorted a little, not sure if she should tell her best friend about what Dick had been suggesting. "Just... doing some research on a science project... Dimensions and all that."

"Gah, sounds boring. So I've been thinking we should throw some kind of party for Nightwing. His birthday is in a couple of days and I don't know if he's already planning something or whatever, but we should do something! It'll be fun and I haven't thrown a party in forever!" The sadness that may have been in her tone before had evaporated instantly at the mention of a party.

Artemis didn't have the heart to tell her no, besides, maybe it would do Dick some good; having a party. "I like that idea, M'gann. It could be fun."

"Oh good! I'm so excited. We'll start planning tomorrow! We'll meet at the cafe." The martian was all but squealing at this point. A giggle escaped Artemis's mouth and it was so foreign, it scared her and Miss Martian. "Did you just laugh?"

Artemis cleared her throat, "Yeah, I guess I did. Wow... It's been a long time."

Solemnity overpowered the excitement, "Yeah it has, I- along with everyone else, have missed that sound, Artemis. We miss you."

Rolling her eyes, Artemis answered curtly, "I haven't left."

M'gann sighed, "Yes, but you're not really here and you know that." She paused before continuing, "You haven't been the same since Wally died. I know he was everything to you, but don't you think it's time to move on?"

Slightly angered by this, Artemis retorted, "It's only been six months, M'gann! He was my boyfriend, we lived together, we had a goddamn dog together. We were planning a trip to Paris. He was my whole world and he was taken from me. I still live in the fucking house we bought together because I still want a piece of him. Don't you dare tell me it's time I moved on. Have fun planning a party on your own, Megs." With that, she hung up angrily.

Who the hell did that alien think she was? She had no right to tell Artemis what she did. Outraged, the blonde screamed before throwing the phone across the room. It smashed against the wall, falling apart into hundreds of pieces. Fuck, she thought, now I have to get another one.  
She shook her head angrily, and flicked the lights off before heading into her bedroom. She yanked the covers back from the bed and jumped onto the soft mattress. Angry tears started rolling down her cheeks as she clicked the lamp off that stood on the table next to her bed.

She wasn't sure how things had gotten so wrong in her life. How everything went from perfection to this. To shambles. To crumbling walls and broken doors. Everything went to hell. How was she ever going to bring it all back?

i_"Artemis, beautiful, let's go for a swim. I promise I won't race you." His green eyes are twinkling with delight and he winked at her. "I know how much you hate to lose." He grabbed her hand and lead her to the sandy beach._

_ She felt elated. How is this possible? Wally- her Wallman- was really here. In the flesh. Touching her hand, smiling at her, winking at her. She didn't care about the physics of it being it possible, she only cared that he was really there with her._

_ Without making him wait much longer, she followed him down the rocks to the shore. Her toes sank in the white sand and warmth spread up her legs and through her body. She looked up Wally and saw him grinning, "It feels great doesn't it? Come on, beautiful." Anxiousness and excitement boomed __from his voice. She knew he could never be still for too long._

_ "Wally, we have all day. We can wait you know." She laughed as the wind tossed her redhead around. She reached up to touch the wayward strands, and as always was astonished by how soft his hair was._

_ "No we don't, Artie. We only have right now." She thought she heard something sad and ominous in his voice but she quickly dismissed that thought. She only wanted to be happy right now._

_ They finally made it to the shore and Wally turned to face her. With a lascivious smile, he pulled her body close against his and slowly began pulling her shirt over her head. "I'm sure you don't want to get your clothes wet." He winked again and Artemis felt a shiver slide over her._

_ "Oh, no, that would be bad." She grinned and laughed huskily as he slipped his fingers in the waistband of her shorts. With one quick jerk, her shorts and her panties pooled around her ankles. His hands gripped her hips and he leaned down to kiss her._

_ She felt his soft lips press down against her own and she moaned faintly. Her fingers found themselves tangled in his downy red locks as his own fingers found themselves unhooking her bra. He pulled back staring down at her creamy, naked body. "You're so beautiful. I wish I could memorize every inch of your skin."_

_ With a sigh of appreciation, he trailed the tips of his fingers over her stomach and up her breasts to her neck. He cupped the back of her neck and pulled her in again for another kiss. This time his lips were more demanding as though he would never get another chance to kiss her again._

_ "Wally," she breathed against his lips, "I think I'm at a disadvantage here. I seem to be completely naked while you are still clothed. It's a little unfair don't you think?" She looked up at him with her big, gray eyes and bat her eyelashes cutely._

_ He chuckled and pulled away from her, "You seem to be right. How ever do you think we should make this wrong right?"_

_ "I have an idea." With a grin that would make the Cheshire cat proud, she slipped her hands between their bodies and undid the buttons on his jeans. They fell to the sand and Wally stepped out of them. Artemis glanced down at him, "Commando, I see." She grinned and Wally returned the sentiment. _

_ She glided her finger up his shirt, fingering the six pack Wally had been working on for years. He always said he'd rather eat and sleep than workout, but their lifestyle came with a sort of requirement for a good workout. And it was well worth it in her eyes. Wally raised his arms, waiting as patiently as he could for her to remove his shirt._

_ Once she finally managed to get the offending material over his head, she threw it to the side and kissed his shoulder. Trailing soft kisses, she made sure he didn't fall into a rhythm by biting him every so often. She grinned proudly every time he hissed through his teeth._

_ "We're supposed to be swimming, Artemis. Not being perverts." He smiled and caressed her cheeks as she looked up at him._

_ "Fine," she pouted but followed him into the ocean. The water wasn't cold like she expected. In fact, neither was the wind. The sun was hidden behind the clouds, but it was still warm out. Odd, she thought, but pushed the invading thought away._

_ They were emerged to their shoulders and because she was shorted than him, Wally lifted her and wrapped her legs around his waist. He laid his head against her soft, round breasts while she played with his hair. "I miss you," he whispered sadly._

_ "What are you talking about? I'm right here." She continued to pull on the curls of his hair, his admission confusing her._

_ "No you're not, Artie. Not really." He kissed her shoulder delicately._

_ "But- But I'm right here, Wally." She looked down at him, no longer confused, but scared._

_ "You're dreaming, Artemis." He looked away, tears shining in his stunning green eyes. "Why don't you want to find me?"_

_ "I don't understand, Wally... I'm with you. I don't have to find you. You're right here!" She could feel panic rising in her chest._

_ "I'm dead, remember? Or at least that's what everyone thinks. Except Dick. Nightwing knows the truth. I'm stuck. But you won't listen to him. Why not? Do you not want to find me?" The pain, the betrayal in his voice, broke her heart.  
"You're not dead! You're right here. With me! I'm holding you and you're holding me!" As she shouted the words, she realized she was shouting to no one. Wally had disappeared from her grasp. Suddenly, the cold that seemed to be absent came back in full force. She became conscious that she was now drowning, naked and cold in the ocean._

_ She thrashed her arms around, trying to reach the surface, but the surface was too far. The gray, turning waters of the ocean were crashing down on her, engulfing her in their waves. Forcing her down into the depths of hell._

_ "Push yourself dammit! Push!" Wally's voice was in her ear, encouraging her to keep moving. "Artemis, please, understand that you have to find me. Hear Dick out... Just find me..." his voice was fading in the water._

_ She knew he was above the surface. And if she could just get there, she would be with him! She pumped her arms faster, kicked her legs harder. But it was no use. Her chest was starting to hurt, her lungs concaving in on themselves; filling with water. She was going to die here..._

_ Her vision started to fade as she began to lose consciousness._

_ Just before her world blacked out forever; a white, freckled hand reached through the top of the water and grab her own hand./_i

Artemis woke up with a start. Her lungs automatically gasping for a deep breath. Her chest heaved as she panted for the air she was so desperate to have. Panicking, she searched the room in a frenzy.

There was no ocean, no crushing waves, no sandy beaches and no Wally.

She was alone in her room, in her bed, covered in sweat. Kicking the blankets off of her warm body, she flopped back down against the mattress trying to gather her thoughts. The dream... it was so realistic. So vivacious and welcoming. But it was just a dream. And Wally... Wally had to be alive. He was the one who saved her from drowning, didn't he?

Wasn't it worth a try to see if it was true?

Wasn't it worth a shot to see if she could really find the love of her life.

To save her best friend in the whole world.

To save Dick's best friend.

She reached over and grabbed the house phone, thankful she hadn't gotten rid of the damn thing like she wanted to do six months ago. Quickly, she dialed a phone number she had memorized by heart. After a few rings, a sleepy voice answered, "Hello?"

"Dick. You're right. Wally's trapped in a dream dimension. I'm ready to try anything." She had finally found a way to bring it all back.


	3. Chapter 3

"Who was that, baby?" Barbara's sleepy voice was almost as sexy as her just fucked red curls. She turned over and laid her head on Dick's chest. Her slender fingers were idly playing with his nipples and hard earned muscles.

Dick stretched and yawned, enjoying the feel of his Barbara laying on him. He stroked her hair gently, his fingers moving softly down her back. "That was Artemis. She finally came around- About what we should tell the Team." He bit the inside of his cheek; that was too close. Keep your game up, Grayson.

"Oh, that's nice of her," she yawned hugely and nuzzled his chest. Dick looked down at his Batgirl. Content and happiness flooding through him. This moment was perfect. Both naked from their hours of play, loving one another, her undivided trust in him.

He could stay in this moment for all of eternity if he hadn't betrayed her trust. In all honesty, to him, the lie wasn't i_that/_i big of a lie. But it was still a lie. He only hoped she would forgive him one day.

"Dick, are you okay? Your heart is racing." She leaned up on her hands, uncaring about the lack of clothing she wore. Her face was portraying real worry and concerned. And he couldn't love her anymore than he did in that second.

"I love you, Barbara." It was the first time he had told her that and for a millisecond, he felt she might not say it back.

He was mistaken. "I love you, too, Dick. So much." With a grin and a squeal of delight, she jumped on him, straddling his lap and kissed him deeply.

He couldn't help but grin back as her gleaming blue eyes filled with tears of happiness. Pushing his hands into her hair, he kissed her for all he was worth. She would forgive him. Someday. She just had to.

Artemis paced back and forth in the kitchen, waiting as patiently as she could. Dick was supposed to be here an hour ago! Where the hell was he? Sighing frustratingly, she began pulling on her hair while she paced faster. She snorted as she was reminded of when she would watch Wally pace around the whole house much faster than she could ever dream of when he was anxious.

That boy could sure move fast, but only when he wanted to... She remembered how very slow and methodic he could be when he wanted to torture her. She rolled her eyes; he could be such a jerk sometimes. But she missed him...

A knock pulled her out of her reverie. She looked up at the sound, confused for a moment before she remembered that it was Dick outside her door. Chewing on her lip, she hurried to the front door and pulled it open quickly.

Dick stood on her front stoop, his hair dripping wet and his dark blue eyes were alit from a frisky play, she was sure he had gotten from Barbara. Trying to hide her smile, she turned away from him and let him out of the rain.

"I'm sorry for pulling you away from your, uh, sleep..." She cleared her throat, "but I figured you'd want to ask a few questions and so we could figure out where to go from here." A small chuckle almost escaped her mouth, but she tamped it down quickly.

Dick pursed his lips tightly, "We both know damn well what you pulled me away from, so this better be good, Artemis."

Unable to contain it any longer, Artemis laughed at Dick's misfortune. "I'm sorry! You could have told me that you were busy and I would have waited."

He shook his head, "No, no, it doesn't matter now. Our priority is Wally. So let's get down to business." He peeled his sopping wet jacket from his broad shoulders and held it out, "Do you think I can through this in the dryer?" Still laughing, she nodded and pointed him in the direction of the laundry room.

He came back and shook his hair out on her, causing her to laugh even more. "I'd say we're even now." He grinned as she shook out her hands where the reused rain had gathered to and she nodded. "Good. So, tell me what happened in your dream."

She flung rain from her face and sat on the couch, settling in against the cushions. She grabbed the smaller pillow and pulled in onto her lap. "Well, I was on the beach with Wally... We, uh, we walked down the beach until we got to the shore." She began twiddling her fingers, feeling slightly awkward. "We, uh..." her face felt suddenly warm and she chided herself for being so ridiculous. It was just Dick. For god's sakes, he was doing the same not thirty minutes ago! "We undressed each other and went into the ocean.

"He lifted me up, and we were holding each other. Then he starts saying something about how he missed me." She sniffed sadly as she remembered his pain, "I didn't know what he meant by that and told him as such. Eventually, he told me that I was dreaming. Then he, he-" a tear slipped from her gray eyes, "he asked me why I didn't want to find him." Quickly, she wiped the liquid sadness away. "Then he told me he was dead, but you didn't think so. He said that you knew the truth."She took a deep breath for strength. "Then he disappeared and I was drowning. I tried to get to the surface, but no matter how hard or fast I swam, it still wasn't enough." She could feel her chest tightening as she remembered the sensation of drowning. "Then, just as I was about to die, Wally reached through the water and pulled me out. Then I woke up."

Dick wasn't looking at her when she finished; he was staring off into the distance, intrigued with something that wasn't there. "Dick..."

"I heard you."

"Well...?"

He was quiet for way too long before he answered her, "He's hurt that you didn't believe me. He felt like you didn't want to find him. But he still couldn't let you drown." He stroked his square jaw, deep in thought. "But he knows that's not true now, I'm sure of it. Before you go back to sleep tonight, leave a journal by your bed and in morning write down everything you remember. We'll talk more about this when we have more to go off of." He rose from the couch, walking into the laundry room. "Oh, and if you could be so kind as to tell him that his best friend would like a word with him, that'd be great." He grabbed his jacket from the dryer, "Yes, I'm aware it's not dry, but I'll be warm enough when I get home."

He winked at her before dragging his damp jacket over his arms, "I'll see you tomorrow. We have missions we still have to be apart of, so get some more rest, okay?" He rested his hand on her shoulder and smiled tenderly, "Don't worry so much okay, Artie."

She half shrugged, "Easier said than done."

"Don't I know it." He smirked and headed out.

She followed him to the door, and locked it behind him. Tired, she leaned against the big wooden door and slid down to the floor. Her head fell into her hands and her hair fell around her in a blonde curtain. How was she ever going to get some rest if Wally would be there, throwing accusations at her and making her feel so...unrested?

She leaned her head back against the door and stared up at the ceiling, unseeing anything that could have been there. She felt broken and useless. But Dick seemed to think the opposite. If she could just gather her strength to get her ass up and into bed, she'd be able to find Wally.

And she would.

No more self pitying. She was going to sleep. Going to find her boyfriend. And tomorrow she would go out with the rest of the Team and then she would help M'gann plan a birthday party for Nightwing.

She stood up and dragged her feet to her room before falling into bed. Time to dream of Wally, she thought wryly, as she turned her lamp off once more.

Finally.

She was coming around.

Now as long as we all keep trying, they were bound to find me.

But how I am going to be any help if I don't even know where I am?

No doors, no windows. Nothing.

Nothing but burning flames and emptiness.

Were they even going to be able to save me?

i_Artemis sat on the beanbag that Dick usually kept in his bedroom but was now out in the living room. The rest of the Team and other the Justice league members were mingling in Mount Justice. It was weird seeing the older superheroes dressed in their civvies, uncaring about their secret identities. Especially Batman- or she should say, Bruce Wayne._

_ The superheroes of the world were acting as though they didn't have a single car in the world. No one was scrambling around for their cape, or their weapon to fight off some fiend. Condensation from the glass in her hand was dripping down her fingers, the chill of it bringing Artemis from her spaced mind._

_ She leaned down and sipped from the straw. As the sharp taste of vodka met her tongue, she made a face and wondered why the hell she was drinking this anyway. As a rule, she never drank alcohol. It always left her disoriented and if she was like that, then she wouldn't be able to do her job._

_ Setting it down on the table in front of her, she looked up and saw Miss M coming her way. Without giving Artemis a chance to stand up, M'gann was sitting beside her. "I'm so glad you made it! Isn't this, like, so much!" She threw her arms around the blonde, giving her an alien tight hug._

_ Artemis hugged her back not quite as tight and smiled at her friend, "It's awesome, M'gann. You did great."_

_ "You mean we did."_

_ Artemis tilted her head, confused, "No, I didn't help with the party planning..."_

_ Megan rolled her eyes and just giggled, "I'm sure you've been so tired you forgot! But no more stressing the party is in full swing just enjoy it!" With that, she left the archer to sneak up on her Superboy._

_ Artemis shook her head, maybe M'gann was right; Artemis just didn't remember planning the party. Yeah, that must have been it._

_ Taking another sip from the glass she thought she had put down, she looked around the room, searching for Dick. She set the drink down again and continued looking for her friend. She felt like she had something to tell him something. Something about..._

_ "Wally! I'm so glad you made it! Come on, come on. Dick will be here any minute!" Artemis heard Miss Martian's voice beckoning the speedster through the door._

_ That's weird, she thought, I thought he was..._

_ "Artemis, baby, I've missed you." She looked up into the greenest eyes she had ever- or would ever see. He grinned down at her, "Get up and let me hold you on my lap."_

_ Without even caring that she was taking orders from him, she slowly stood up from the beanbag and was delighted when he moved behind her to sit down. His hands rested on her hips as he bent down to kiss the back of her neck. She turned her head, wanting more of his touch. But before she could get anymore, Wally sat down and brought her down with him._

_ He pulled her across his lap and she laid her head on his shoulder. He kissed her head as he __played with the seams of her jeans, "I thought you didn't drink."_

_ She looked down, startled to see the vodka mixed drink was back in her hand. What the hell? "I, I don't." She sat the glass down again and pushed it far from her._

_ He shrugged and kept playing with her jeans, "So, I see you finally listened to what Dick and I were saying. And all it took was you drowning. That's pretty messed up, Artie." His voice was deep in her ear and rumbled through her body as he spoke._

_ She snapped her head up, "What are you talking about? I wasn't drowning- Well, in a dream I was." Realization dawned on her. "I'm dream-"_

_ "SURPRISE!" She was cut off as the door opened and Dick walked in and everyone shouted. Wally stood up, setting Artemis on her feet, and shouted for his best friend. Dick appeared to be blushing slightly which only made the girls in the room scream louder for him._

_ Now that Artemis knew she was dreaming, the drink constantly being in her hand made sense. It was a fear of hers to be drunk and not in control of a situation. They were in Mount Justice which had been blown up by herself and hadn't been repaired yet. And the superheroes being out in the open with their secret identities was not possible which is why in DreamWorld, it was._

_ She wondered if Dick was dreaming, too. If he was actually here... "Wally, I'm dreaming aren't I?" She swallowed against the uncertainty, her fingertips digging into Wally's muscled forearm. She wasn't sure if she was scared because she was aware she was dreaming or if she was afraid she wasn't._

_ "Yes, beautiful, you're dreaming. This is called lucid dreaming. Welcome to my life." He grabbed her by her elbow and pulled her away from the partygoers. Leading her down the old hallway to his once upon a time bedroom. "I know this isn't ideal, but I'm glad you're here. With me. I miss you so much, Artemis." He pressed her back against the wall and kissed her softly, sucking on her bottom lip._

_ Caught up in the feeling his kiss always brought, she was barely able to mumble, "I miss you, too, Wally," before he deepened the kiss, pushing her further against his body. She was so happy here. In his room, just like they used to do when they were teens. Sneaking around at all hours of the night, giving themselves to each other. She wanted to stay here, like this, forever. And ever. But she couldn't._

_ She pulled away from Wally's sweet lips and ducked under his arms, needing distance to think. He chuckled as she tried to gather her composure. "Wally, I'm serious. Tell me how to save you. How do we do this?"_

_ He was suddenly serious as he watched her. "I don't know, Artie. I'm trapped in this World. When I'm not in your dreams, I'm stuck in a room. A dark room with no windows or doors and sometimes- sometimes the floors flame up. There's no escape, I can't breath, I'm suffocating in there. I don't know if you guys can even do it..."_

_ She could only stare at him. "You can't be serious?" He nodded and her worst fears were confirmed. Wally might really be dead. Tears were stinging her eyes as she tried to bargain with this thought. What was she going to do with her life if he really was gone forever. She swallowed hard as an inappropriate, light thought popped into her head._

_ Mustering up a smile, she blinked away the tears and stepped toward Wally. She reached up and cupped his cheek, staring deep into the green eyes that had turned her whole world around, "Wally. I will find you. I will always find you." She quoted the show they had watched together while cuddled on the couch._

_ He grinned at her and kissed her palm. "I know you will. I know you will." He kissed up her arm and nuzzled the inside of her arm, sending shivers over her skin. "I want you so bad, Artemis. I can't think straight. I hate being here." _

_ She cleared her suddenly dry throat, "I want you to baby-"_

_ "Artemis..."_

_ The sound of her name in her ear stopped her short. Who the hell. "Did you hear that?" She asked quietly, still trying to listen._

_ Wally shook his head, kissing her shoulder. Artemis dismissed the voice._

_ "Artemis..."_

_ But as she heard it again, she knew she couldn't. "Wally, someone's calling my name."_

_ "Artemis..."_

_ "There it is again!" She looked around quickly; her eyes snapping to every corner of the room. When she saw nothing she looked back to Wally. But when she saw him, he was no longer the speedster, she loved._

_ His red hair was the color of puke. His vibrant green eyes were burning red. A long black tongue hissed at her from his mouth as his skin began to deteriorate before her eyes. "Wally!" She screamed as she pulled tried to pull her arm from his grip._

_ He dug his nails into her soft flesh and as she finally freed her arm, his disgustingly long nails left gashes along her forearm. "Wally! You're hurting me!" She all but screeched at him as he dripped saliva from his gapping hole of a mouth._

_ He reached out for her, and where his fingers grazed her cheek, a burning cold path was left in it's wake. "Artemis," he rasped, "Come here, baby, stay here with me forever..." He lashed out at her, his nails attempted to rake at her face but she moved away from him before he could touch her. "Don't run from me, beautiful."_

_ "It's not real. It's not real. It's not real." She reminded herself over and over again. "It's like being in Kaldur's mind." Only the pain was real this time. She had to wake up somehow. Not wanting to do it, she threw her fist against the creature's, claiming to be Wally, stomach. He doubled over and she from the room._

_ Hustling into the living room, she saw that there was no longer an able body in the room. Everyone. All her friends, her mentors, her heroes, lie dead on the floor. Piling on each other, bloody and broken from an seeable force._

_ "Artemis, baby, come back and play!" Wally's demonic voice echoed through the empty room. Tamping down a scream, she moved carefully over the bodies of the fallen gods, desperate for a way out of this nightmare. How did she wake up from the last dream?_

_ She wanted to shout from frustration as she tried to think of a way out. She tripped over the unmoving body of her mentor Green Arrow. Her stomach heaved slightly as she saw his eyeballs hanging from their sockets. Dear god, why. Why did they all have to die?_

_ That's it! That's how she got out last time. She almost died. "Artemis, I know you're here." She looked back to see the disgusting beast making its way through the lifeless bodies of her family. It kicked them aside as though they were simply trash._

_ Running to the kitchen, she ripped the drawer with the knives in it open. She picked the longer, sharpest knife she could find and plunged into her stomach. The scream she let loose was no match to the scream of the thing that was possessing Wally's body. "You bitch!" It shouted as he raced toward her._

_ Artemis swallowed the fear that was rising. Before he world ended forever the last thing she was Wally's jaw ripping open to engulf her./_i

Artemis woke up screaming. Her body jolting straight up as she panted for breath. She opened her eyes, afraid that she would see Wally's horrific red eyes piercing into her. But all she was Dick standing in her doorway.

"I tried to wake you up," he whispered sadly. "Why was everyone dead, Artie?"

She tried to take a deep breath, not at all surprised that Nightwing was in her house, let alone her room. "I don't know. Wally, he was there. I knew I was dreaming. He knew I was dreaming. Then I heard my name pulling me away. When I heard that, Wally, he, he turned into this demonic creature. He chased me through the house, over the bodies of the fallen. I knew in order to wake up, I had to die."

"Is that why there's cuts on your arm and a burn mark on your cheek?" He crossed his arms, no emotions playing on his face.

Horrified, she looked down to see that Dick was telling the truth. "N-no. These are from that thing. I tried to pull away from it and it scratched me. The burn is from his fingertips touching me. I thought it was only a dream, Dick..." she looked up at obviously scared.

"So did I. We're in over our head's here, Artie. Did he tell you anything useful before turning evil?" His voice was condescending and she didn't know why.

"Yeah. He's in some room with no windows or doors. Why are you being an ass?"

"Because I'm real good at it. I was in the dream, Artemis. I don't know why or how I died, all I know is something is wrong, and if we don't save Wally, he's really going to be gone forever."


	4. Chapter 4

I wake up, drenched in sweat.

I'm laying on the cold, hard floor of my prison.

The flames haven't heated the room yet.

I try to remember Artemis's dream.

But all I can remember is wanting to drink her blood and eat her flesh.

What the fuck?

I shake my head.

I don't bother looking around the room.

I know what will be there.

Nothing.

Darkness.

Black shadows along the walls.

Hisses from bleak corners unseen by me.

Hell.

"Hey, M'gan- Yeah, I know what I said. I know. I know I was rude. Thank you, I accept your apology. I'm sorry, too. I know, I know. Yes, I will help with the party. I can't leave my best friend hanging." Artemis smiled as she reconciled with the martian. "Yeah, yeah, I'll be right over and we'll get started. Okay, see you soon, bye."

Hanging up, she got up from the couch and went over to the fridge. She felt like she hadn't eaten in days. She glanced into the nearly empty refrigerator and remembered why she hadn't eaten in a while. Wally had always been the one to buy the food and stock the fridge because he was always eating.

Artemis had only filled the fridge once, and that was Valentine's Day, ten months ago.

Sighing heavily, she closed the door, no longer hungry and walked into her bedroom. She might as well get ready. A party to plan, a mission to go on, bad guys to fight, dreams to be had. A full and busy day ahead of her.

And to be honest, she wasn't looking forward to it.

"Gah," she groaned groggily as she moved through the bedroom, searching for her Tigress costume. She turned her head back and forth, popping her neck and picked up the discarded orange and black outfit. She shook it out and shrugged; it was clean enough.

She stripped her clothes off and threw them to the side, a light touch feathered over her stomach and she whipped around quickly. Nothing was there. But she had a feeling who it was. "Wally, i-is that you?" Silence greeted her. She swallowed back the discomfort and continued dressing. But she stopped suddenly when another touch glided over her back. "Wally, this isn't funny. Will you just let me know if it's you!"

She was growing angry. Scared, but angry. A slow buzzing began humming around the air around her; setting her ears and brain on edge.

Something pulled on her hair and she shrieked from being caught off guard, "Goddamit, Wally, this isn't fucking funny!" She hurriedly dressed and reached down to grab her mask laying on top of a black shirt.

As she looked at it, it came to life and transformed into the demonic face of Wally from her dream last night. She screamed, this time not taken off guard, or angry, but genuinely scared. She closed her eyes against the onslaught of gruesome images from her dream. "Leave me alone!"

Opening her eyes, she saw that her mask looked the same as it always had. She snatched it up quickly and set it over her head. Her breaths coming out short and panicked, she glanced around, looking for a sign from her boyfriend.

Dripping from the wall in blood was, "Wally will be mine. And so will you." Too scared to scream, Artemis stood there, staring at the ominous message. Her throat working against the fear, she barely felt a fingertip slip over the back of her neck. She shivered.

Something fell from a nearby table and Artemis snapped her attention toward the noise. A flower vase had fallen and the dirt was splattered around the floor. She bent down, still in shock, to clean it up. But as she went to sweep the mess away, it began moving on its own.

"Fuck me..." She sighed scared and figured she might as well wait for the message to be splayed out.

Slowly, the words began to spell out, "I wish." Artemis grinned because she knew this was Wally. He was there with her. "Get Dick. Dream. Talk. Now." The message was choppy and Artemis wasn't exactly sure if she knew what it meant. Why did she need to get Dick?

The dirt smear suddenly and then buzz stopped.

She was alone.

She didn't want to be alone anymore.

"Hey, Tigress, you ready for the mission?" Beast Boy asked her excitedly from his perch on the floor.

She glanced down at her green, animal friend and smiled softly, "I actually think I'm going to skip on this one, BB. I'm not really feeling up to it, so I'll stay here to help around the HQ. Nightwing and I have stuff to do anyway." She shrugged and ruffled the green hero's hair.

"Aw, that sucks!" He pouted and scampered off.

She smirked as he walked away and went in the opposite direction, she had to find Dick, Wally obviously wanted her to talk to Dick. But she didn't know what. Well, she supposed it was about the bloody message on her wall.

Yeah, maybe that was it.

"Artemis, hey, I thought you'd be out on the mission with the others?" Dick sounded more surprised than he should have been.

Instantly, she was suspicious. She looked around the room, trying to figure out what had her friend on the edge. A flash of a cape caught her eye as it disappeared through a closing door. She smirked, "Are you doing inappropriate things in the office, boss?" she winked.

He pursed his lips, not liking that he was caught. "I- uh- we were just- uh, you know. Discussing business." He crossed his arms defensive.

"'Business'." She put the word in quotes, "Right. Totally, I got you." She winked again and gave a thumb's up to him.

He shook his head, flabbergasted, "Anyway, what can I help you with, Tigress?"

She laughed, but let it go, suddenly turning serious. "I got a message. A couple of them. One from Wally telling me you and I need to talk and the other was written in blood on my wall not from Wally." She sighed sadly as the sensation of being watched crept up on her again.

"You, too, huh?"

"What?"

"Yeah, I woke up to a cryptic message on my wall."  
"What the hell is going on?" Artemis was suddenly cold, she wrapped her arms around herself.

"I don't know, but we need to talk to Wally. The real Wally."

"DreamWorld here we come." She whispered sarcastically.

"I'll come over tonight." He touched her shoulder softly, "We'll get this all figured out."

"I hope so. I gotta go, D. I have to go, uh, see Megan about something." She bit her lips as she almost spilt the secret party.

He smirked, "Make sure there are balloons at the party would you?"

She knew she shouldn't have been surprised, but it always caught her off guard when he knew exactly what everyone was trying to hide from him. "You got it, buddy."


	5. Chapter 5

"I think Nightwing would like a lot of balloons. Don't you?" Artemis asked as they strolled through the aisles of the party store.

"You think so? He doesn't seem like he'd be the type to want balloons. They're so childish and fun." M'gann giggled as she tossed things into the basket.

"Yeah and maybe that's why he'd like them. So, come on, let's get him some balloons." Artemis slipped past Megan and went to the front desk to ask someone for help. "I feel like we should maybe plan the party for a different day?" She asked over her shoulder in Miss M's general direction. "Having it tonight is kinda late notice, don't you think?" That, and Dick was supposed to come over so they could talk about the Wally situation.

"I know it's kinda late, but the sooner we throw the party the sooner he'll get over being angry with us." Megan smiled and sidled up next to Artemis as a pimpled face kid asked them what they needed help with. Megan flashed him a killer smile and stroked his arm playfully, "Just a few dozen balloons, please?"

The boy turned to putty as the martian threw her charm at him, "Of course, miss, I'll get right on that." As quickly as he'd come, he was gone.

"M'gann, did you-?"

"No! No, mind control, just old fashioned girlish charms." She grinned again and went on shopping.

Artemis shook her head, laughing as she followed her friend, "Okay, so what else do we need and did you already tell everyone about this?"

"Clean the house, set up a DJ, clean the hot tub, buy some food and yes, everyone knows. I only invited Young Justice members. I don't want the older Justice Leaguers crashing this awesome party! Connor is actually really excited for this one for some reason." Megan all but skipped down the aisles.

Laughing, Artemis stretched her arms and yawned. She obviously hadn't been sleeping good the past couple of nights and now it was starting to get to her daily life. Dick and she needed to figure out the problem with Wally so she could have him back.

But right now, she had to focus on Megan and the party tonight. "I'll call Impulse and see if he can clean the house real quick." Artemis pulled out her cell phone and started to dial.

"Why not Wal-?" Megan literally clamped her hands over her mouth before she could finish the question.

Trying to maintain her composure, she shrugged off the sadness. "Don't even worry about it, Megs. Bart is so much better at cleaning than Wally ever was." She laughed awkwardly and put the cell to her ear. M'gann chewed on her lip solemnly and moved on with the shopping.

"Hey, Impulse, yeah, it's Artemis. Yeah, how are you doing? I'm good, I'm good. Hey, you heard about the party tonight right? Hah, yeah I'm sure Miss M. flashed that all over." She smiled at Megan who still looked awkward. "No, yeah, totally. I have a favor to ask though. Do you think you could go and clean up my house- I know it sounds bad, but it's where we're throwing the party, and we still have a lot of crap to do and you're the fastest kid alive, right?" She cleared her throat as she remembered Wally saying that all the time. "Thanks, B, I'll see you later."

Hanging up, Artemis slipped the cell phone into her pocket and put her arm around M'gann's shoulder, "Don't worry about it, okay, M? I do it all the time." She kissed Megan's cheek and moved ahead to pull the cart to the cashier. "Now, let's hurry. We have a lot of things to do for tonight!"

"SURPRISE!" the young superheroes yelled out simultaneously as Nightwing came through the door.

Artemis wasn't surprised to see how well the young detective was able to hide the fact that he knew about this whole thing from the beginning. Quite the actor, Grayson grew up to be, she thought with a smile as she made her way to her friend.

He grinned in her direction, his sunglasses perching on the bridge of his nose perfectly as they usually do. Embracing her in a tight hug, he whispered in her ear, "The balloons are fantasmic! Just the right touch, Artie."

She kissed his cheek and smiled, "I'm glad you approve. Now, go mingle and have some fun before we have to serious later tonight."

Suddenly grave, he nodded once and moved on to some other friends. She watched the way he interacted with the other members of the Team and impressed with how he handled himself. But then again, what did she expect from the prodigy of Batman. He was the most disciplined child she'd ever met. She was happy, though, that he had found someone who knew him for who he really was. With or without Batman. It seemed Batgirl was the perfect girl for Nightwing.

"Artemis! Girl, I haven't seen you in days! Where the hell have you been?"

"Yeah, what she said, but you know, less ghetto."

Artemis looked over to see who was talking to her. She smiled when she saw two of her best friends coming up to her with huge grins on their faces. "Rocket! Zatanna! It's been too long since we've seen each other." She embraced the two superheroes in a tight hug. "I miss you girls."

"Is Miss Martian around?" Zatanna asked sweetly.

"Yeah, why?" Artemis narrowed her eyes suspiciously at her friend.

"Oh, honestly, no reason, just haven't seen her in a while either. How have you been, sweetie?" The magician stroked blonde hair back from Artemis's face.

"Could be better, right?" Shrugging, the archer slyly detached herself from her friends. Suddenly stepping up her pace, she ran into Roy who had a cup of beer in his hands- well it was now in her hair-

"Oh, shit! Artemis, I'm sorry!" Frantically picking up napkins, Roy tried to dab her dry.

"Roy, Roy, Roy! It's okay, really. I'll just go take a shower." She chuckled as his eyes looked around worried. "Don't worry, I won't tell my sister." She smiled and winked as his face flamed up.

She left him to sober up and ran up the stairs to her bathroom. Peeling the clothes from her lithe body, she turned the shower head on. She pivoted around to turn her radio on and caught her reflection.

Sighing as all the scars from past battles became apparent. They zigzagged up her legs, her abdominal, her chest, her shoulders and down her arms. The bags under her eyes, that she noticed days ago, were worsening as her sleepless nights continued.

How had Wally ever loved her? Hadn't he seen the scars? The bags? The imperfections? The hatred she kept tamped down? How had the sweetest, most loving, kindest and most caring person loved her?

Shaking her blonde hair out, she averted her eyes from her hellish body and got into the shower. She didn't bother waiting for it to warm up. She didn't want to be warm; didn't want to feel like she was wrapped in something wholesome. She wanted to be cold. So her inside would match her outside. The freezing water stung her skin, making her suck her breath in between her teeth.

Taking her time with washing her hair, her thoughts wandered to something dark. What if Wally couldn't be saved from the DreamWorld? What if whatever wanted him wouldn't let him go? She couldn't go through losing him twice.

The thought of never seeing him again, even in a DreamWorld, brought on the familiar burn of tears. It was an odd mixture; the warm saltiness of her tears and the cold spray of the shower as it flowed down her face.

No wonder people cried in the shower all the time.

"Artemis..."

Wally's voice called to her from beyond and she couldn't help but be drawn to it. "Artemis, my spitfire, come to me. Come with me." Without her permission, her eyes began closing slowly as her body slumped against the shower wall.

i_His pale, freckled arm was wrapped around her shoulders, her blonde head was on his shoulder and together they laid in a green meadow. Tiny pink and purple flowers were blooming in the grassy field. The sun rays were shining down on them, making them glow bright. She had never felt more happier than she did right now. She had her Wally._

_ "Artemis," he mumbled quietly in her ear, "I'd love to stay here with you forever, but we both know this isn't real. I want to come to you in the real world." He kissed her temple and stroked her arm, "Zatanna can help. Invoke the three sister, Artemis. Save me."_

_ To be honest, she didn't really hear what he was saying; she could only focus on the feel of the sun, the slight summer breeze that ruffled his hair, the sound of his voice and the warmth of his hand on her shoulder. She murmured, "Mmhmm," before falling asleep in his arms._

_ "Artemis," he whispered, his voice pulling at her consciousness, "This is important. Get Zatanna." /_i

A knock on the door brought her back to the present. "Artie? You okay? You've been in there for like an hour."

Artemis woke up with a jerk and a gasp for breath as the cold water fell into her nose and mouth. Sputtering, she coughed up water had gotten into her lungs. "Y-yeah," she stammered as she stumbled out of the shower. "I'll be right out!"

Drying herself off with her towel as quickly as she could, she dressed again and ran into Dick in the hallway, "Oh, hey, buddy. Didn't, uh, didn't see you there. How're you liking your party?" She tried to smile as best she could so as not to alarm him.

"Artie, I know when you're hiding something. What happened in there?" He arched his eyebrow, knowing she would spill.

Sighing defeated, she told him everything. "The last thing I remember was hearing him say 'Zatanna'. But I don't remember why or what that has to do with anything." She bit her lip, trying to think. "Oh!" she snapped her fingers as she remembered something else. "He said something about the three sisters. Whatever that is."

Glass shattered in the hallway to her right. Whipping around, she saw none other than Zatanna standing there; a broken cup at her feet. "The three sisters? Where did you hear that from?"

"You know what that is?"

Zatanna swallowed hard, as though she was scared. "It's a spell. To defeat a demon."


	6. Chapter 6

"You know what that is?"

Zatanna swallowed hard, as though she was scared. "It's a spell. To defeat a demon."

Artemis stared at her friend, she should be shocked; but when it came down to it, it would make sense if the magician knew exactly how to defeat a demon. A demon. That's what was after Wally and her? A goddamn demon?

"Why are you trying to invoke the three sisters? This is some serious shit you guys are messing with." Zatanna still hadn't moved from her spot.

"Z, it's kinda complicated." Dick scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, shining his cute chagrined grin at her.

"Don't you dare give me that bullshit, Grayson." Anger fueling her, she sauntered over to Nightwing, poking him in the chest. "I dated you, remember? I know exactly how you work." She sneered and turned toward Artemis. "Now. One of you needs to tell me what the hell is going on."

Artemis bit her lip, both trying not to smile at Dick's rejection and wondering how much she should tell her friend. "What do you know of demons and dreams?"

Zatanna shook her head, shrugging. "That's kind of a vague question don't you think? Could you give me better details?"

Taking a deep breath, Artemis spilled everything to the magician, who was still the tiniest bit angry. "It started a couple of days ago..." By the time Artemis had finished the story, Zatanna was pale faced and scared.

"Why didn't you say something sooner! This is monumental, do you have any idea how much danger you or Wally or even Grayson could be in? You can't go to sleep again until we've banished this demon." The magician had begun pacing, her slender fingers pulling anxiously at her dark hair. "And Wally specifically said the three sisters?"

Artemis nodded, but Zatanna wasn't paying attention. "Yes, Z. That's what he said. How are we going to do this?"

Zatanna quirked her eyebrow; there was no way in hell Artemis knew anything of this spell. Zatanna had to have the right people to cast this spell. Three women to embody three elements. One for air; intelligent and creative. One for earth; protective and loyal. One for fire; fierce and loving. "What's this 'we' business? I'm the one who's going to be doing most of the work here." She combed her hair back, nervous as a rabbit. "I need to do some kind of research first. But I'm going to need three girls. Artemis, you of course. Probably M'gann and Batgirl." She looked up at Dick, a pang of hurt flashed in her eyes before vanishing. "It's up to you guys to involve them. They have to know the truth." Her voice had grown thick with what seemed to be unshed tears. "I'll meet you guys tomorrow in the cave."

Without a goodbye, Zatanna had disappeared. Artemis glanced at Dick, "What did you do to her?"

He didn't meet her eyes, only shook his head, "I'll go talk to BG. You can talk to M'gann." Just as hastily as Zatanna had left, so had Dick.

Artemis sighed as she was once again left alone. She'd have M'gann stay the night, so Artemis wouldn't fall asleep and talk to the martian then. She watched the retreating back of Dick Grayson, the protegee of Batman, one of the toughest guys she knew, and saw him hurting over a woman he'd left heartbroken.

"Happy birthday, Dick." She whispered.

"Is everyone aware of what we're doing here?" Zatanna's voice carried loud and demanding along the cave walls.

A unanimous "yes," called back to her. Artemis looked around the cave, Dick was in the back, not part of the spell, but there just in case. M'gann, Batgirl and her, stood around Zatanna who stood in the center of a circle.

"Good." The magician nodded and continued. "A demon takes shape of a love thought lost, return him thus to us three. Air suspend and impede; earth imprison, let him not succeed, fire banishes and purify. Let this beast burn and die. Sisters three watch out for me, the first protects me, the second rejects thee, and the third brings harmony back to me. As we will so mote it be."

The spell was only a few sentences and Artemis half expected for a bolt of light to flash or for spirits to inhabit their bodies. But it was only words spoken. Nothing more and nothing less. No extravagant show of evil in the room.

Zatanna looked at the women, "It should be okay now. When you sleep tonight, you and Wally will have to fight this demon in a battle. Should you win, Wally will come back with you to this world. Should you lose, you both will be the demon's prisoner." She bowed her head respectively, "I wish you luck."

"Hey, BG, I'm going to walk Artie home, settle her in for tonight, okay?" Dick kissed Babs's cheek, and hugged her close to him before pulling away.

She smiled and nodded as she walked away with Megan. Megan turned and spoke to Artemis. "Good luck, my friend. I know you will win and I will see you tomorrow for lunch. Along with the speedter, Wally." She grinned and left with Batgirl.

Artemis smiled and waved to her friend, "Goodbye, Megan..." She bit her lip and hugged Zatanna quickly. "Z, thank you so much for this."

The magician grinned and kissed Artemis's forehead, "Absolutely, archer. I expect to see you and Wally tomorrow as well." She smiled warmly before looking at Nightwing. "Dick." She nodded curtly and walked away.

Dick sighed and wrapped his arm around Artemis's shoulders. "Come on, let's go get you fit for a fight for your life." He smirked and she rolled her eyes at his obvious defense against whatever he was feeling about the whole Zatanna thing.

"Dick," she mumbled, "What if...what if we don't win? What if Wally and I are stuck in the DreamWorld forever? Prisoners to a demon..." She scrubbed her hand over face, her fears suddenly coming to the front.

"You'll be fine, Artie. Are you kidding me? You and Wally are one of the best teams I've ever had the pleasure of working with." He smiled down at her, "You guys are great fighters. You'll be fine!" He kissed her head and opened the car door for her. "Come on, let's get you home."

Artemis nodded, knowing he was right. Wally and she had always worked really well together, that is after they had stopped the childish bickering. She smiled reminiscently at the thought, she needed to have her Wally back.

And she would get him back.

Artemis settled into her bed as comfortable as she could. She turned her head, cracking her neck and breathed in deeply, popping her vertebrae. Slipping on a pair of headphones, she pressed play and let the classical music pull her into the deepest, darkest place of her of her mind. Sleep gripped her consciousness and before she was aware of it, she was gone.

She hadn't noticed it before, but Dick was in the darkest shadows of the room. Sitting in a chair, watching over his friend. He didn't know how he was going to save her if she lost to this demon. He wasn't sure how he would react if he lost Wally again and Artemis.

He ground his teeth as he watched sleep claim the blonde, her chest evenly breathing, a slight snore coming from her. There was nothing he could do to help them if they were in trouble. He just had to believe that they'd be okay.

i_I see her come to me through a sheet of smoke. The air is thick like we're stuck in jello. Her blonde hair is billowing around her; the wind picking up the ends and dropping them slowly. She's not smiling at me, though I want her to. She's scared. Fear is burning in her steel eyes. Her lips are pulled together in a snarl. She's running to me now. Screaming. Shouting. Crying. "Wally! Wally!" My name floats to me, her voice carrying through the smoke. "We have to fight! Wally! Don't leave me again!" _

_ I wonder why she's telling me this. I'm not going anywhere. I would never leave her. I could never do it. At least not willingly. Why is she saying this? Her eyes widen with terror and she points. "Behind you!"_

_ The scene changes and we're in a house. She's outside the window and I stand in the living room. A breath slides down my neck, making the hairs on my arms stand up. Something is so very wrong._

_ I turn too late to see a towering figure above me. A black shadow. The only colors that adorned that creature was red and dingy yellow. Horns protruding from the hideous monster's head were blazing with hot flames. A skeleton face with teeth that were rotting from the beast's face. The red beady eyes were barely visible amongst the blackness. Gashes along the cheeks oozed blood, dripping quietly to the floor. I noticed the demon didn't walk but glided along a wave of flames as it raised its hand with its spiked finger trickling blood through the air._

_ If it bleeds, it an be killed._

_ No wonder Artemis was scared. I felt her fear tenfold now. How were we to defeat this monstrosity? A whizzing noise pierced the air for a moment before the arrow hit its target. The sharpened weapon went straight through the demon's throat. Blood began pouring through the open wound and I thought that we already won this. But I should have known better. The demon didn't notice the arrow as it roared._

_ I turned to see Artemis through a broken window, in her green costume, her blonde hair up in a ponytail and her mask in place. I had never wanted to kiss her as much as I did right then. She looked at me and nodded. There was no time for smiling or pleasantries right now. It was time for us to get home. I pulled down my goggles over my eyes and sped into the demon. It was life or death._

_ Artemis sprang into the air as the scene changed again and we're in a medieval fighting arena. There's a crowd cheering us on as we fight the death. A creaking gate opens and two lions pounce into the arena. Their muscles rippling as they jump at each other, pawing at one another. They haven't been fed in weeks and they want meat._

_ Artemis doesn't know how they're going to kill two lions and a demon. But she knows they have to. The animals finally catch wind of her scent and turn on her moving form. A deafening howl rings out and she is forced to her knees. They're sprinting at her now and as the noise fades, she jumps to her feet._

_ Somersaulting over one lion, she lands on the back of the other. Using her bow as a collar, she pulls on the strings, herding the lion toward the other. She dug her heels in the ribs of the animal, carefully pulling out her crossbow, she shot an arrow into the back of the neck of the other lion. It drops instantly._

_ Wally's shouts for help from the other side of the arena have Artemis forcing the animal to move faster. Her speedster has created a tornado around the demon, sucking all the air from its lungs. __Artemis strikes an arrow into the lion and as he falls to the ground, she bounds into the air, shooting another arrow into the demon._

_ This one hits the side of his head. Now the demon has two of her arrows planted inside it. But it still won't die. The demon is losing air, and as it's about to drop, the scene changes once more. Now they're in the forest._

_ The demon is gasping for breath and Wally is on his hands and feet, trying to regain his strength. Artemis hears something to her left, turning quietly, she saw two bears rising on their back feet. Ready to attack._

_ You've got to be kidding me, she thought bitterly as danced out of the grasps of the bears' claws. "Wally! Wally, come on! Get up!" He's still on his knees and Artemis is suddenly scared. He has to be alright._

_ She shimmies up a tree, taking a perch high above the bears. She pulls another arrow out of her quiver, this time an explosive one. She shoots into the demon and watches as its arm is blown off. Half expecting it to regenerate, but it seemed they had gotten lucky._

_ The demon bellowed out in pain as it held what was left of its arm. This seemed to have woken Wally. He jumped to his feet, already running faster than she had ever seen him run. He bounced off tree after tree until he was level with the demon's heart._

_ Doing something Artemis had never seen him do before, Wally vibrated his molecules until he could pass through the demon's chest. He ripped out what could only be assumed as the demon's heart. A black blob that sputtered and spurt black tar. With a look of disgust, Wally crushed the disgusting thing and dropped it to the ground._

_ The demon reared its head, thundering its pain and rage. The bears, petrified, took off running into the forest. The demon exploded, blood and black goop blowing over her and Wally, covering the meadow and the trees._

_ They won!_

_ Suddenly, the forest disappeared and they began to fall. "Wally!" Artemis screamed, reaching for his hand. Their fingers were locked tight as they fell through a vortex of dark colors. She was having a hard time keeping her eyes open. She looked over to Wally and saw that he was passed out. "Wally?" She whispered, scared that he might be dead. "Wally..." she mumbled one more time before she joined him./_i

"Wally! Artemis!" M'gann's voice shouted through Artemis's subconsciousness, pulling her back to the real world.

She opened her eyes and saw the martian, the detective, the magician and the batgirl surrounding her bed. Confusion was the strongest emotion she was feeling. Why were they all in her bedroom? What the hell was going on?

A groan from her side reminded her exactly what happened. Wally! He was back. She finally had him back. With her. She grinned as she turned over and saw the red haired, freckle faced man in her bed. He opened his green eyes and tears sprang to her own.

Unable to help herself, she cupped his face and kissed his lips. He hesitated against her touch and when he pushed her back, Artemis was offended. He looked around the room, his eyes panicking as he saw their friends.

He grappled backwards until he fell to the ground. Pushing himself back against the wall, he held a position that was meant to defend himself should any of them attack him. His voice deep just like she remembered it, he growled. "Who are you?"


	7. Chapter 7

Artemis stood in the corner of the bathroom, away from her friends. She still couldn't believe that after everything that had gone through, everything they had done, Wally didn't know them- didn't know her anymore. They had to start all over. They had to teach him of his powers, how to fight, how to decipher between good evil, how to love... What if he didn't want her anymore? She shook her head and gnawed on her fingernails as bits of pieces of the conversation her friends were having flitted in and out of her ears.

"What the hell, Zatanna?"

"What is going on?"

"I don't know, I've never seen this side effect before."

"How do we fix it?"

"Is there any way to fix it?"

"This is going to crush Artemis. Again."

At the sound of her name, she turned to her friends. She didn't know who spoke her name, but she looked up to see them all staring at her. "We'll figure something out, guys. I know we will. We have to." She nodded, willing the tears that wanted to spill over back into their ducts. "I'll start tonight. Try to get him to talk to me. But you guys should leave."

They didn't say anything just filed out of the bathroom. Artemis saw that Wally was still huddled in the corner, like a scared, wounded animal, guarding himself from possible enemies. His red hair wild and everywhere.

Before Artemis could heard her friends out of the bedroom and into the living room, Dick pushed past her and knelt in front of Wally. As the speedster tried to react violently to Nightwing's presence, Dick threw his arms around the redhead. Wally start to push him off, but calmed as the detective whispered, "I need you, my friend."

With that, he led the way out. Stunned, Artemis followed, her nerves raw as she realized she was not the only one affected by Wally's loss of memory. She patted Dick's back and opened the front door for her friends. "We'll fix this, guys. I'll call you all tomorrow so we can meet up and talk about tactics." She smiled at the uncertainty on her friends faces; they didn't think she'd be able to handle this without falling apart. And they had reason to believe that. "I promise."

She closed the door behind the retreating figures of M'gann, Zatanna, Barbara and Dick. Turning back to her living room, she slid down the door and pulled her knees close to her chest. She didn't want to cry. She didn't even feel like crying anymore. But one single tear slipped down her cheek and her body shook from the stress of the whole situation.

Wiping her hands over her face, she shook her head and stood up. It was time to try and bring Wally out of state of mind. She stepped into the kitchen, grabbed a plate and loaded it with as much food as she possibly could.

Lord knew Wally probably- definitely- needed food after everything. She walked back into the bedroom and saw him still in the corner, still on guard, still full of hatred. She barely glanced at him when she set the plate in front of him.

He growled at her and pushed himself further into the corner until she backed away from him. Once she was sitting on the far side of the bed, he ventured out and smelt the inviting scent of the food. His lips twitching, as though smiling, he reached out and took the plate. Relaxing a miniscule, he leaned against the wall and started eating.

She watched him quietly and when she felt he was lax enough, she inched off the bed. Taking her time, she meticulously pulled her top drawer and pulled out a fresh pair of panties, her spandex shorts and a form fitting tank top.

Normally, she wore one of Wally's shirts to sleep, but now that he was here and without his memory, she wanted to make some kind of impression on him. Something that said she was sexy even while she slept. Sighing, she began undressing. She didn't bother being modest or go into the bathroom to dress for bed.

She threw her discarded clothes in the hamper and felt eyes on her skin. Looking up, she saw Wally's emerald eyes running over her body. For the first time in a long time, she blushed. Up to the roots of her hair. He didn't look away from her as she finished dressing. But when she slid back into bed, he lowered his eyes back to his plate.

Running her hand under her pillow, she pulled out Wally's shirt and slipped it under the covers with her as though it were a security blanket. After all these months, after all the shit that had gone through, she finally had him back.

But he wasn't really back.

She wondered if he ever would be.

Morning sun danced over her face, her eyes fluttered open slowly only to be blinded by the bright star. She stretched her arms high over her head and turned over away from the sun. Wally wasn't on the floor anymore. Instead, he had gotten comfortable on the bed beside her, his back to her. Quite a bit of distance between them, yes, but beside her nonetheless.

She swallowed and watched the redhead. He began to stir and she instantly closed her eyes, not wanting him to panic again. She felt him turn over, and instinctively she wanted to reach out and feel soft, pale skin against her own. But she knew she couldn't, knew he'd throw himself away from her if she did.

So she stayed quiet, biting on her lip to keep the tears at bay. The bed began to sag as he changed his position; she could feel his breath ruffling her hair and it took everything she had not to open her eyes and drown in the sea green that was his eyes. i_Breathe, Artemis, breathe. Stay calm./_i

She focused on her breathing, keeping her breathing even, her chest steady as she pretended to be asleep. She felt his body warming her from the inside out. He was moving closer to her and her heart began to palpitate. His fingertip brushed over her cheek as though he was just seeing her for the first time.

Wanting so bad to kiss his fingertip, she bit the inside of her cheek, controlling her urges. His breath fanned over her face, causing shivers to spread over her body. His finger still moving along her cheek, she moved slightly against the touch. His breath caught, but he didn't stop. Boldness excreting from his being, he cupped her cheek, his thumb rolling over her cheek bone.

Unable to stop herself anymore, she opened her eyes, preparing to see terror and pain in his. What she didn't expect was to see his eyes closed as he began leaning down toward her face. She knew this move, had anticipated it from the very beginning of their relationship.

He was going to kiss her.

His velvety lips brushed over hers in a light movement that almost felt nonexistent. He didn't pull back after that. He continued to move his lips over hers in a manner that was starting to drive her crazy. He pulled on her lip with his own as his fingers caressed her hair.

In that moment, she couldn't stop. She reached up and pushed her fingers through his unruly red hair and kissed him back. For a second, he didn't hold back, and in that second, it felt like it was really Wally. Like he was really there, like he had never left.

But it ended as quickly as it started.

He pulled back, his eyes wide and unsure of anything. Moving too far back, he tumbled off the bed and rubbed his wounded head.

She tried not to laugh as she moved over to him, "I'm sorry, Wally. I just couldn't help myself." She reached a hand down to help him, but he looked away from her, "Don't be like that. Let me help you."

"Why did you do that?" He glared up at her.

She jerked back, "What do you mean why did i_I_/i do that? You kissed me, remember?"

He shook his head, a blush crawling up his neck. "Whatever," he grumbled as he got up.

She rolled his eyes at his usual childlike behavior, "Look, we have a lot to do today. We need to try and jog your memory. So get dressed and I'll go make us some breakfast." She rolled out of bed and started for the door when she heard him speak.

"I dreamt about you. That's why I kissed you. I know you're important to me. I know." He said nothing after that as he grabbed his clothes and went into the bathroom. The shower started and Artemis smiled to herself.

He was starting to remember.


	8. Chapter 8

"Wally, do you remember Dick, Babs, Zatanna and Megan from last night?" Artemis spoke softly as she gestured to their friends.  
Green eyes looked around wildly as he took in the way the people all seemed to stare at him. He knew they wanted him to remember him, and he wanted to remember them as well. Hell, deep down, he knew who they were; he just didn't know how to convey it.

He swallowed back a growl of warning to the strangers and nodded slightly. "Artemis said you guys are my friends. That we're some kind of heroes and we're a team." He looked up into gray eyes for approval and Artemis nodded, smiling.

He didn't know why, but that smile, made his heart skip and it warmed him. Wally he watched the way Artemis moved as she talked to the others about his situation. He wanted to badly to reach out and touch her. Her hand, her cheek, her lips. His thoughts took a sudden turn. In his mind, he saw the blonde beneath him, naked and writhing with pleasure as he made love to her. Her gray eyes hooded from the ecstasy, her blonde hair wild and fanned over the pillows.

As if sensing his thoughts, Artemis's face began to redden and her eyes widen as she felt his eyes on her. A secret, male part of him was pleased of her response to him. Unable to help it, he reached out and grabbed her hand.

She didn't even bat an eye at his sudden need for physical contact. But the other man, the one named Dick noticed the quick flare of sexual tension between them. He met Wally's eyes, his blue eyes seemed to look through green ones, all the way to Wally's soul. As if Dick knew all the secrets of the universe and was trying to attain Wally's secrets.

Wally wanted to fidget under Dick's scrutiny, but he'd be damned if he let some pretty boy push him back. He didn't know, but it was important to stand up to the boy wonder. And just like that, with a random use of a nickname, memories came flooding back.

"Dick," he whispered, his voice full of recognition.

Artemis let go of Wally's hand as she watched him embrace Nightwing in a brotherly hug. Before their eyes, Wally transformed a little bit. He remembered his best friend. Everything about them, Wally had pulled from the deepest recesses of his mind.

Tears shone bright in the boys' eyes as they held onto each other. "I missed you, Wally." Dick's voice was thick with unshed tears as his best friend in the entire world came back from the dead.

"I missed you, too, Dick." Wally's grip tightened on his friend before he realized everyone was staring at them. He stepped back from his friend and behind Artemis. He kept his eyes down or on Artemis's back.

But Artemis wasn't going to let him get away with hiding. She turned around to face him, "Wally, you remember Dick! That's fantastic. One step a time, maybe you'll remember more things soon." Her smile was hopeful, but her eyes were sad.

"I hope so," he mumbled wanting to appease the blonde as he reached for her hand again, needing to feel her soft skin against his rough hand.

"Do you know how you did it?" She asked, trying to keep her mind off the feel of his skin.

He shrugged, "I don't know, I was just thinking about one of his nicknames and it came to me."

"That's extraordinary." She looked pensive as she turned back around, blinking quickly to clear her vision and smiled to the others. "What should we do today? Obviously, certain things that tie you to him will jog his memory. A nickname is all it took for Nightwing. This should be easy enough." She paused to breathe as she felt Wally's thumb feathering small circles over her wrists. "Megan," she said with more force than she meant to, "what's one thing that would connect you to Wally?"

The Martian took her time mulling it over in her pretty green head, "Cooking!" She exclaimed, "Wally's always eating and I was never a good baker, he's bound to remember that!"

The Team broke out into laughter at that statement.

Megan blushed but held her chin up, "Yes, I know! Well, come on, let's go back to mine and Conner's house and I can-"

"I'd rather not bring Wally around anymore people until all of his memories are back, Megan. The more people, the more he'll be afraid." Artemis gave an apologetic smile trying to soften the blow of her statement.

Megan returned the smile, "Don't worry about it. Let's go back to your place."

*** *** ***

Wally bit into one of the burnt cookies and was instantly overwhelmed with memories of the beautiful, green alien. He remembered his crush on the Martian, he remembered the betrayal after finding out she was with Conner, he remembered everything. "M'gann, babe! You haven't changed a bit." He grinned, stuffing more cookies into his mouth.

Laughter erupted through the kitchen as they watched Wally. Zatanna snapped her fingers, "I think I know how to make him remember me. Magic." She winked and walked to the center of the living room.

"Mrofsnart otni yllaW." The spell was short and simple. A spell any beginning magician could do. But it was still astounding to those who witnessed it. Zatanna's beautiful figure magically transformed to that of a boys. Her midnight hair was shortened and colored into Wally's wild, red hair.

Wally turned around to see him self standing before himself and he smiled, "Zatanna, it's been too long, hasn't it?" He embraced both the girls and jumped in the air as Barbara snuck up behind him. He laughed, shaking his head, "I know that Batgirl from anywhere." He grabbed up the redhead and pulled her into the hug.

Artemis stood with the door open as the others said their goodbyes and hugged Wally, welcoming him back. Wally waved goodbye and went to the kitchen for some more of Megan's "delicious concoctions." They stepped outside and Artemis followed, closing the door behind her.

They turned to her, with sheepish grins. "I'm sorry he still hasn't remembered you, Artie." Dick murmured, scratching the back of his neck.

Artemis laughed at his discomfort. "Don't worry, guys. I have a plan to jog that memory." She winked at them and sent them on their way.

The door opened behind her and she whirled around to see Wally standing in front of her. He tilted his head, his gaze never wavering as he tried to pinpoint her in his mind. She gave a casual shrug as though she didn't care and pushed past Wally.  
"Hey, what was that for?" He asked as he closed the door, following Artie to the kitchen.

"What do you care, Wally?" She asked, her tone bored as she bent to look in the fridge for something edible.

"That's not fair!"

She shrugged again, "I'm done trying to be fair."

"Why are you acting like you don't care?"

His voice was ragged, he was wary and wrung out from the long day and Artemis knew this was the best time to pick a fight. Hell, it's what they did best after all. That and making up afterwards.

"Because I don't, Wally." She flipped her hair over her shoulder and looked away from him.


	9. Chapter 9

Even as she said the words, she could feel her breath slip from her lungs as the lie smacked him in his face. It hurt to even think those words, let alone say them. But she did what she had to do. She had to get a rise out of them.

She had to get him to remember her somehow.

Facing away from him, she peeled off the top of her yogurt and began slowly eating it, waiting for the fire that was surely inside Wally to smolder and rise to the point where it would break out of him. She deliberately ate her yogurt without a care in the world, nodding her head to an inaudible beat.

She heard him sigh, "I'm sorry that I hurt you, Artemis and that has led to your dislike to me. I'll leave as soon as possible."

Artemis choked on her food and whirled around to see Wally making his way to their bedroom. She'd be damned if he'd leave this house without knowing her inside and out. Throwing her spoon in the sink, she stomped after him.

"Who the hell do you think you are? You're just going to leave after everything? You're going to give up? Fuck, you really are a coward aren't you!" Her nails were digging into her palm, the only give away that she was scared out of her mind.

"Artemis, you said it yourself, you don't care about me anymore. So what's the point in me staying?" His voice was even, his tone calm, but his eyes were restless. The green orbs looked her over, up and down, gaging her response.

"You're pathetic, you know that? Why did I ever love you? You're running away from me after everything we've been through! You never even loved me... I see that now." She barely finished, before his hands were gripping her upper arms in vise.

"Don't you ever doubt my love for you, woman." His eyes were flashing emerald fire at her, and her breath caught in her throat, "I may not remember who you are fully, but I know who I am." He bit out the words, so they would resonate with her, "I know that if I loved you, then I loved you fully."

He let go of her roughly, and she could feel the bruises forming there. She shook off the pain, anger making her shake, she got in his face, speaking through her teeth, "Touch me like that again, Wally and I'll slit your throat."

The threat was empty, and they both knew it, but the fire around them only grew with the intensity between them. His jaw hardened, "Why do you do this? Why are you fighting with me?"

And just like that, recognition flinted through his eyes. His whole body visibly relaxed as he lunged for her. Unsure of what he would do, Artemis backed away from him. But he was faster than she remembered.

He pressed her up against the wall behind her, his lips a breath away from hers, "Artemis," her name whispered over her skin as his hands snaked up her arms, holding her hands against the wall away from her face. "I missed you." His tongue darted out over her lips, sending a shiver down her spine.

She had her Wally back.

Hungry for her, Wally crashed his lips down against hers, robbing her of the air she needed to live. He pressed his fingertips into her wrists, wanting to reassure himself, she was really there in front of him. He pushed his body into hers, needing to feel her against him, where she belonged.

His tongue danced over hers in a hot tango, as her lips clawed at his own. She was the very thing he needed to survive. His goddess. Releasing her hands, he wrapped his arms around her body, his own hands sliding down her spine, to the curve of her hip, until he cupped her buttocks in both of his hands.

She squeaked slightly as he lifted her up until she could wrap her legs around his waist. Her arms crept around his neck, holding him to her as if she were he would float away from her. Again. He walked backwards to the bed, and tossed her down onto the mattress.

He looked down at her and felt himself harden at the sight of her in their bed. Her blonde hair freed from her usual pony tail was fanned out on the pillows. Her chest heaving from the excitement, her breasts spilling from her green top and her hips wiggling, needing him between her legs.

"Wally," she panted.

In that moment, every moment of his life came pouring over him. Every memory he thought he'd lost rushed back. Every scent, every sight, every noise was his again. All because of this woman, all because of this goddess, all because of this fighter he was fortunate enough to find.

"I love you, Artemis."

She smiled, her tongue moving over her lips to moisten them, "I love you, too, Wally. Now get over here!"

Her impatience was all the motivation he needed.


End file.
